Branded Vs Custom Domain Names
Your domain name is almost as important as your business name. Its how people will find you online, so it needs to be memorable and relevant to your brand.
Mailchimp offers free Mailchimp-branded domain names as part of its marketing plans. That might work well for you, but if you ever decide you want to remove the mailchimpsites.com extension from the end of your domain name, you can buy a custom domain through Mailchimp. You can take that step any time youre ready.
Claim The Free Domain
Finally, we are in the last step in which you can claim your free domain. Once the payment is successful, the website will navigate you to a page where you can claim a free domain name.
You can begin claiming the free domain by choosing the extensions first. You should go for the .com domain if possible, which will be beneficial for your website in the long run.
After choosing the extension, enter the domain name you want to go for. If it is available, you can claim it right away. However, if someone else has already grabbed that particular domain name, you can try your luck with an entirely new domain name or by changing your extension.
Other Ways To Get A Free Domain Name
For the sake of comprehensiveness, Ill also discuss two other ways of getting a free domain. Although I dont recommend them, its always good to know all of the options.
- get a free subdomain
- use a free domain registrar
Ill explain each of these methods in greater detail below, including the reasons why I dont recommend them when talking about how to get a free domain.
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Who Offers Domains For Free
There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but free domains exist. Thats why its important to understand what an offer entails and whether or not there are associated costs with a domain.
Free domains are most often offered by hosting companies and site builders, like Bluehost, GoDaddy, and Squarespace. Mailchimp also offers a free domain that is Mailchimp-branded, and it comes along with free site building and hosting.
Search For Your Domain Name’s Availability
Once you have found the right domain registrar for you, you’ll need to search for your domain name using the registrar’s search bar. There are millions of domain names out there, with thousands more added daily.
If you have your heart set on a domain name before doing a search, you might be disappointed to find it is already taken. Keep an open mind and incorporate important keywords into your domain when appropriate.
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Claim Your Free Domainname
After youve completed checkout and payment, youll be taken to your Hostinger control panel, hPanel.
There, youll see an option front-and-center for claiming your free domain.
Click Claim Domain to search for your preferred free domain name. Once you see it, click the purple box next to it.
Id encourage you to select a .com extension, as it looks more professional and helps you appear more reliable to your visitors.
The only time that Id consider an alternative domain extension is if the .com extension is already taken and you are absolutely set on the name.
Having a .com domain is particularly important for businessessmall blogs, personal sites, and side hustles may be able to save a few bucks by going for an alternative extension.
After that, youll just have to enter some basic information to register your free domain name. Fill out the form and submit it. Hostinger will take a few minutes to verify your registration information, and then send you an email with a link to complete the verification.
With that, youre all set on securing your free domain name!
Theres just one more thing I recommend.
Make sure to enable WHOIS protection. After youve completed verification, youll be taken to the section of your dashboard for your new free domain name. Then, just look for the slider button under WHOIS Privacy and click it so it becomes purple and enabled.
Once you complete that last step to safeguard personal privacy, youre done!
The Name Should Reflect Your Interests
Your website will become your ground for implementing all your digital efforts. Therefore, selecting a domain name which communicates your product is important.
When developing a domain name, you should think about how the name looks and sounds. Avoid making the name too long for your audience to remember. Furthermore, some platforms like Twitter limit the number of characters.
The domain name has to appeal to the market and evoke the desired inference for it to attract traffic to your website. A strategy which works for many businesses is forming a name from their brand. Such names promote the awareness and recognition of ones brand on the market.
If you havent developed a brand yet, you can incorporate a witty call to action in the domain name. The name should draw the attention of the desired audience at a glance.
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How To Claim A Domain Name Final Thoughts
Domain name security is perhaps not a priority for some website owners. However, it should be one of the first considerations to make when opening a website given the rate at which cyber-crime has risen. Hackers are becoming clever by the day, and you have to avert them before they strike.
New website owners should learn how to claim a domain name before launching their sites. They must also stay abreast of new internet security trends to keep their URLs secure. They should deter hackers with a combination of security measures to seal all loopholes.
Protecting your online brand, website, reputation, and domain is important If you need help with legal issues, an internet lawyer can help.
Contact Revision Legals attorneys with the contact form on this page, or call us at 855-473-8474.
Use The Domain Lock Service
Most domain registrars provide a domain transfer lock which prevents your domain name from getting transferred without your knowledge. You can ask your registrar to provide a registry lock even if it may cost you some amount. This should prevent an intruder from making changes to your DNS information without your authorization.
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What Is The Best Option To Get A Free Domain For My Business Website
While companies, such as Freenom and Dot TK, offer free domains, they are not secure nor do they look professional. For a free business website, your best bet is to sign up with a hosting provider or website builder that offers a free domain to new users. Keep in mind that the free domain is usually just for the first year or the length of the initial contract.
Fourth: Reveal Your Bid
After the three days have passed and the auction ends everyone must reveal their bids within 48 hours. If you dont reveal you lose the auction and all of the funds you bid.
To reveal your bid go back to the ENS section of MyEtherWallet and search your domain like you did when you first placed a bid. Youll get a message back telling you its time to reveal your bid.
Revealing Bid in ENS section of MEW
To reveal the bid log into MyEtherWallet with your login details and youll then be prompted to enter the bid details. This is the information you copied and/or screenshot when you placed your bid. Once the details are entered click Reveal your Bid to make your bid public.
Confirmation of bid details
This reveal stage lasts for 48 hours. If youre still the highest bidder at that time you win the auction and the domain is yours!
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List Of Domain Name Registrars
There are numerous domain name registrars. Listed below are just a few, along with my comments, if I know anything about them.Note that the domain name industry is highly competitive, with prices wildly fluctuating throughout the year, every year, soits impossible to really mention accurate prices below unless I spend all my time updating this page. Please check their sitesfor the latest rates. Unless otherwise stated, I have listed everything in US dollars, although if you go to theregistrars site, you may see the prices in your local currency.
In addition, as mentioned earlier, a number ofcommercial web hostswill give you a free domain name if you are hosting with them, as will some of the registrars above.
How To Register A Domain Name For Free
Youve heard the rumor about free domain names. Is it true?
Yes! There are actually ways to get a free domain name for your website.
First, you can get a free domain name for a web hosting provider such as Bluehost.
They offer every new user a 1-year free domain with any of their hosting plans. You can either register a brand new domain name with them or transfer a domain name, registered with another company.
Some other hosting providers who also have a 1-year free domain policy:
- InMotion Hosting
Note: The downside of getting a domain name from a hosting provider is more expensive renewals. After a free year, most hosting providers will charge a higher renewal fee, compared to domain registrars.
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Enhance Your Domain Privacy
Website owners must provide accurate contact information about themselves to the registrar. The domain registrar forwards this record to WHOIS. Your data at WHOIS is available to the public.
Thieves steal such information and impersonate website owners in an attempt to transfer their domains. You can go for private domain registration to avoid revealing your contact information. Your domain registrar can offer privacy by replacing your information with theirs.
Purchase The Domain Name
When you have settled on the domain name and a suffix, you will pay to register the domain name with the domain registrar. This is not a one-time purchase, however. Typically, you will pay to own the domain name for one year, after which you can renew your registration for a fee. You can expect a registration fee of about $10 to $15.
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Pay For Web Hosting Receive Free Domain
For some businesses, the idea of using a free service doesnât make sense. Sure, those free services are great. But some offer next to no customer support, while others simply need more from their hosting provider.
In those cases, why not sign-up to a hosting provider that throws in a free custom domain name? Exactly, itâs a great idea. Here are a few options for you to peruse:
- Bluehost: You can grab a free domain with Bluehostâs Basic, Plus, and Prime web hosting options
- GoDaddy: Similar to Bluehost, GoDaddy throws in a free domain name when you sign-up to one of their hosting subscriptions
- 1& 1: Sign up for 1& 1 web hosting and you get a free domain name, unlimited storage, and SSL certificates
There are many more similar deals to these out there. Furthermore, your local hosting company may offer a similar sign-up deal, and its always good to support local businesses.
Select Your Plan And Billing Cycle
The next step in the process of securing your free domain name is to solidify the plan you want and pick your billing cycle.
Again, we recommend the Baby Plan for most users. Youll also notice that if you pick a longer billing cycle, HostGator offers you a discount.
A longer billing cycle also ensures you run into fewer hiccups when its time to renew your domain name and hosting plan.
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Negotiate A Price That Works For Both Of You
When you get in contact, negotiate a fair price. Look up the domains history on the Wayback Machine and check out the domains Domain Authority to get a sense of its value. You can use tools such as Moz or Ahrefs to get this number.
Once you settle on a price, use Escrow to facilitate payment. Do not use your personal PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle account.
How To Claim A Domain For Free
1. How to claim a domain for free
There are many domain registrars out there, but we recommend Namecheap as it offers free domain privacy and has a user-friendly interface.To claim your free domain, simply:1. Go to Namecheap.com and search for your desired domain.2. Add the domain to your cart and proceed to checkout.3. Enter your personal information and choose your preferred payment method.4. Complete the checkout process and your domain will be registered!
2. The benefits of claiming a domain
There are many benefits to claiming a domain. Domains can be used to build credibility, increase brand awareness, and drive traffic to your website. By claiming a domain, you can also protect your brand from being hijacked by cybersquatters.
3. The process of claiming a domain
Domains are the unique names that identify websites on the internet. The process of claiming a domain is simple: first, you must find a domain name that is available, then you must register it with a domain name registrar. Once you have registered your domain name, you can then point it to your website’s files and begin using it.
4. The importance of choosing the right domain
A domain is an online address that helps people find your website. It’s important to choose the right domain because it’s how people will find you online. The right domain will help you build a strong online presence and make it easier for people to find you.
5. How to make the most of your free domain
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What Is The Difference Between Domain Speculation And Squatting
Theres no single, definitive definition, but generally squatting implies bad faith intent on the part of the person or company that has registered the domain.
That means they have no interest in or intentions of creating a website for the domain or otherwise using it . That person just bought it to sell it for more than they paid for it .
Domain speculation, on the other hand, involves registering domains that might be useful or of interest, but which dont block an existing trademark or brand. For example, instead of registering a variant of an existing companys domain, a domain speculator would register something more general, like weselldomains.com, in hopes that some domain registrar might want it.
Speculators are often more open about the fact that the domains in their portfolio are for sale, as well. Whereas squatters might set up a basic page to make it marginally look like the domain is in use, or create a parking page full of ads to try to get click traffic for extra revenue until they can sell the domain.
Some squatters own many domains, though some will only target a few, since the more domains you own that havent sold yet, the more money youve invested without return. Speculators often own a large portfolio of domains, targeting various industries with a selection of relevant terms.
Tips To Protect Your Business From Domain Listings Scams
To protect your business from falling victim to a domain listings scam, we recommend following these best practices:
- Always read notifications thoroughly and double-check with your domain registrar to confirm the validity of any notification.
- Beware any correspondence that looks like an invoice and contains language that makes it sound urgent.
- Beware of notifications that state not a bill, and look for it in the fine print.
- Keep your contact information for your domain registrar up to date and ensure that you have the correct contact details for your business on file.
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Ways To Get A Free Domain
There are a number of ways to get a free domain, and each one comes with its own benefits and drawbacks.
Some sources only provide free domains on a limited-time basis, and others only provide free obscure country code top-level domains , so they aren’t suitable if you’re looking for a .com or .net domain. Others let you choose a .net or .com, but they register your domain in their name instead of yours.
Here are the best ways we’ve found to get yourself a free domain:
- Watch for promos from Name.com: This service normally sells inexpensive domains, but they sometimes provide domains for free. You have to follow their social media to catch a promo if you want a free domain.
- Get a free domain from Freenom: This service works in conjunction with Dot TK and others to provide totally free domain names. You don’t actually own the domain name, so you can’t sell or transfer it.
- Get the GitHub Student Developer Pack: This option is only available if you can prove that you’re a student, but it provides access to a free domain name among other benefits.
- Use web hosting that provides a domain name: Some web hosting companies provide a free domain name when you sign up. Check to make sure that you will actually own the domain yourself.
What Is Domain Squatting/cybersquatting
In short, domain squatting is where people register domains that are closely related to a trademark or brand, with the intention of selling them off for profit. By doing this, squatters are gambling that the company or person targeted will just pay what the squatter wants to avoid expensive legal proceedings and the risk of being denied the rights to that domain name.
For example, a registrant might register thisismycompany.ca in hopes that the company, which is based in New Zealand, for example, would start doing a lot of business in Canada and want to buy that domain. Or if a company was launching a new product called SuperNamer, and a registrant who didnt represent the company registered supernamer.com to try and make the company pay for that domain so they could launch their new product with the most recognizable domain name.
Domain squatting can also be done accidentally by someone with good intentions, e.g. a big fan of a particular celebrity, character or sports team. That person could register the domain, e.g. batman.com and set up a fan site dedicated to all things Batman, even though the site isnt owned by DC Comics, who own the rights to the Batman character.
As noted, the person who set up the site might just be a huge Batman fan, but the person could also be hoping that DC will offer them a lot of money for the domain to avoid legal wrangling .
Bad faith domain squatting is illegal, but can still be expensive to resolve through legal channels.
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